French
DeutschAjay Mitchell
| No. 25 – Oklahoma City Thunder | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 25 June 2002 Akron, Ohio |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UC Santa Barbara (2021–2024) |
| NBA draft | 2024: 2nd round, 38th overall pick |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Playing career | 2019–present |
| Career history | |
| 2019–2021 | Limburg United |
| 2024–present | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2024–present | →Oklahoma City Blue |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Ajay Mitchell (born 25 June 2002) is a Belgian-American basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. He was selected in the 2024 NBA Draft. Mitchell plays for the Belgium national team since 2021.
Early life and career
[edit]Mitchell grew up in Akron, Ohio.[1] At age 17, he moved to France for a period of a few months, where he played thirteen games in the under-18 team of Nanterre 92, along with Victor Wembanyama, among other teammates.[2] He began playing for Limburg United's youth team in 2019 and made two appearances with the senior team in the Pro Basketball League during the 2019–20 season.[3]
Mitchell played solely with the senior team during the 2020–21 season while maintaining his amateur status. After the season, he committed to playing college basketball for UC Santa Barbara.[4]
College career
[edit]Mitchell played in 27 games during his freshman season and was named the Big West Conference Freshman of the Year and second team All-Big West after averaging 11.6 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game.[5] He averaged 16.3 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game and was named the Big West Player of the Year during his sophomore season.[6]
Professional career
[edit]Oklahoma City Thunder (2024–present)
[edit]On June 27, 2024, Mitchell was selected with the 38th overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 2024 NBA Draft, however, immediately on draft night, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the 40th overall pick in the 2024 draft and cash.[7] On July 6, 2024, Mitchell signed a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.[8]
National team career
[edit]Mitchell played for the Belgium under-18 team, before making his debut with the senior team at age 18 in 2021.[2]
Career statistics
[edit]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | UC Santa Barbara | 27 | 23 | 32.1 | .531 | .327 | .750 | 2.2 | 3.7 | .8 | .2 | 11.6 |
| 2022–23 | UC Santa Barbara | 35 | 35 | 33.8 | .506 | .267 | .813 | 2.7 | 5.1 | 1.3 | .3 | 16.3 |
| 2023–24 | UC Santa Barbara | 29 | 29 | 31.5 | .504 | .393 | .858 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1.2 | .4 | 20.0 |
| Career | 91 | 87 | 32.5 | .511 | .332 | .818 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 1.1 | .3 | 16.1 | |
Personal life
[edit]Mitchell's father, Barry Mitchell, played college basketball at Norfolk State and professionally in the Continental Basketball Association and World Basketball League before playing and settling in Belgium.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Ajay Mitchell quitte Limburg pour Cal State Santa Barbara". La Dernière Heure (in French). 22 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Van frêle tiener en ploegmaat van de jonge Wembanyama naar het basketbalwalhalla: wie is NBA-Belg Ajay Mitchell? | sporza". sporza.be (in Flemish). Archived from the original on 2024-06-28. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
- ^ "Des Liégeois sans ressort écrasés à Limburg". L'Avenir (in French). 31 January 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Belgian basketball star commits to play for UCSB". Santa Barbara News-Press. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Mark Patton: Ajay Mitchell Can Now Talk the Talk with UCSB Basketball". Noozhawk. 4 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "UCSB Sophomore Ajay Mitchell Honored as Big West Basketball Player of Year". Noozhawk. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ Flojo, Enzo (June 28, 2024). "Thunder 2024 NBA Draft grades for every pick". ClutchPoints.com. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "Thunder Signs Nikola Topić and Dillon Jones". NBA.com. July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.